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Those Sexy O'Sullivans #2
Sex, Straight Up (Those Sexy O'Sullivans, #2)
Meeting a handsome loner on a deserted beach in the Hamptons was like being hit by lightning. One steamy weekend in bed with Daniel O'Sullivan and Catherine Montefiore was marvelously woozy from a delicious cocktail of sun, sand and superhot sex. Abruptly, though, Catherine's forty-eight hours of fun are at an end when her family's exclusive auction house is hit by a very public scandal. She's ready to step in and save the day, but she's hoping Daniel, her hot Irish hunk, will lend a hand. After all, he's got the necessary skills and, straight up or not, Catherine wants another long drink of Daniel before another forty-eight hours are up and her legacy is lost forever!
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen O'Reilly
109 books65 followersKathleen O'Reilly wrote her first romance at the age of eleven, which to her undying embarrassment was read aloud to her class. After taking over twenty years to recover from the profound distress, she is now proud to announce her new career - a romance author. Kathleen lives in New York with her husband and their two children who outwit her daily.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 20, 2010
This was surprisingly good despite its unfortunate title (obviously, I ought to start raising personal expectations for Harlequin novels)—good in its poignancy and sensitivity.
Here are two rather mild-mannered people working in professional, occasionally mundane, jobs. They meet, they have a passionate affair, they break it off thinking they'll never see each other again. Of course fate works its cheeky little way in, and they become embroiled in office politics on top of their own budding relationship.
That's not all to the story either, given that this hero is a widower, a victim to the September 11 attacks. The woman is left constantly doubting herself, whether she'll forever be in the shadow of the late wife.
This felt so real and raw. Daniel's devotion to his wife was true, and not pathetic as it might have seemed on the surface. And naturally Catherine has self-doubt and shame at competing with a dead woman's love and memory. But the reconciliation and union is sweet indeed.
The story might have tired by the end (will they, won't they?) but the writing does have occasional poetry about it which is rare in this genre. Perhaps because O'Reilly tries to weave the 9/11 tragedy (still raw and painful after these eight years) into her narrative? Either way, five stars for the effort.
Here are two rather mild-mannered people working in professional, occasionally mundane, jobs. They meet, they have a passionate affair, they break it off thinking they'll never see each other again. Of course fate works its cheeky little way in, and they become embroiled in office politics on top of their own budding relationship.
That's not all to the story either, given that this hero is a widower, a victim to the September 11 attacks. The woman is left constantly doubting herself, whether she'll forever be in the shadow of the late wife.
This felt so real and raw. Daniel's devotion to his wife was true, and not pathetic as it might have seemed on the surface. And naturally Catherine has self-doubt and shame at competing with a dead woman's love and memory. But the reconciliation and union is sweet indeed.
The story might have tired by the end (will they, won't they?) but the writing does have occasional poetry about it which is rare in this genre. Perhaps because O'Reilly tries to weave the 9/11 tragedy (still raw and painful after these eight years) into her narrative? Either way, five stars for the effort.
August 6, 2009
The first thing you have to do if you decide to read this book is to TOTALLY ERASE the title of it from your memory. In fact, I had to erase this book from my kindle because TONS of people ask to SEE my Kindle and I didn't want anyone to think I used it to read porn. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but still.) I have NO IDEA why this book was titled so poorly. It has NOTHING to do with anything in the book that I could figure out. Apparently, Harlequin Blaze just needed to fill a slot in this particular series.
Secondly, you have read the opening pages of this book:
I was immediately sucked in to his book. And while the rest of the story was good and definitely readable, it wasn't earth shattering. My biggest complaint about the Blaze line is that it actually isn't all that blazing. Maybe I'm the odd woman out, but when I think of "blazing" the last thing I think of is my husband waking up first thing in the morning poking me in the back. Uh... No.
Secondly, you have read the opening pages of this book:
"Since the summer he turned eleven, Daniel O'Sullivan woke up every morning the same way. With an aching hard-on. After he was married, the first light of dawn became his favorite time. He'd roll over, impatient hands searching for his wife. After making love to her, he'd shower, shave, and together they'd take the subway to work. What more could any guy want?
But then one September morning seven years ago, bright sunlight mocking in the sky, that all exploded, along with two airliners, two buildings and two thousand, seven hundred and forty people -- one of whom was his wife.
Gone.
For the next five years he rolled over to look for her, impatient hands searching blindly, and she wasn't there. And so the hard-on stayed."
I was immediately sucked in to his book. And while the rest of the story was good and definitely readable, it wasn't earth shattering. My biggest complaint about the Blaze line is that it actually isn't all that blazing. Maybe I'm the odd woman out, but when I think of "blazing" the last thing I think of is my husband waking up first thing in the morning poking me in the back. Uh... No.
February 16, 2015
Great book (terrible title).
August 13, 2010
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"2.5 stars" Even though the first book in Kathleen O'Reilly's Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy was just OK for me, I was looking forward to trying the next book, Sex, Straight Up, mainly because I thought the concept of a hero who had lost his wife on 9/11 was a very unique one that would probably make a great story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be even more of a yawn than the first one which was extremely disappointing to me, as I've liked some of Ms. O'Reilly's other work very much in the past. In my opinion, she spent too much time on the details of the hero and heroine's professions, that of accountant and art appraiser respectively, which are rather snooze-worthy jobs to begin with. She also had a tendency to meander off onto various little rabbit trails that didn't really directly impact the couple's relationship. All of this felt like a whole lot of filler when I thought she should have been building their connection and developing their emotions on a much deeper level. Instead it seemed the hero and heroine were just wandering around from scene to scene with very little purpose or direction except trying to clear the heroine's grandfather of any implication in a price fixing scheme. That part of the story resolved itself a little too quickly and easily as well with Daniel figuring out who really was responsible while in the midst of a drunken stupor and the “bad guy” being the one person who logically should have been able to cover his tracks, all of which lacked credibility.
I really felt like both Daniel and Catherine had great potential as interesting and likable characters, but just never lived up to the inherent possibilities. I would normally love a quiet, brooding hero who is mourning a lost love, and I did adore Daniel for being so devoted to his wife so much so that he had remained celibate for the seven years since her death. When we first meet Catherine, she seems like a very nice person too. Her artist's eye instantly recognizes the loneliness in Daniel, and being a fellow introvert, she also understands his social awkwardness and need to be alone. There seems to be some underlying hurt in her life as well that came from her desire to be an artist, but at the same time, feeling she could never quite live up to her grandfather's exacting standards either in art or business. Unfortunately, this is as far as these two characters were developed, and I never felt like they blossomed through these adversities in the way they should have. Everything simply stayed on a superficial level with them which made it very difficult to relate.
Being an introvert myself, I typically love introverted characters, but Daniel and Catherine just seem to lack basic communication skills. Generally, they only talk to each other in as few words as possible and never about the really difficult stuff which made them seem very closed off and emotionally distant from one another for the entire book. I got very frustrated with both of them, because Daniel just went around pining for his wife and feeling like he's cheating on her without ever explaining his feelings and reasons to Catherine. For her part, Catherine knew the score on Daniel still being attached to his first wife, but then got kind of snippy, refusing to share personal stuff about herself because Daniel wouldn't either. Then on the rare occasions that he did try to open up a little, she usually cut him off and wouldn't listen because she's afraid of what she'll hear. This couple were such poor communicators, I just never felt a true emotional connection either between themselves or with me as the reader, and consequently had a very difficult time investing myself in what the outcome would be for them. I've read other books with a widow/widower character who was pining for a lost spouse that were done so much better. I felt like what was truly missing here was a willingness on Daniel's part to express himself and an equal willingness from Catherine to be understanding of his feelings, as well as a strong differentiation of their relationship being something new, unique, and different from what he had in the past, but every bit as fulfilling. Instead, all I felt from the pair was pure lust but never a true love connection.
Considering that this was a Blaze novel, I was at least expecting some hot love scenes to liven things up, but even that expectation was dashed. Daniel and Catherine do get it on a number of times, but surprisingly some of the scenes are closed-door, others are barely there (without any foreplay and over in a mere paragraph or two), and the ones that are a little more detailed were still not anywhere near as vivid and passionate as I would have anticipated from a book of this type. In fact, I think it was perhaps the tamest Blaze I've read to date. Again, I thought there was some definite lost potential here, because Catherine is an artist who enjoys sketching nudes, but usually relies on paintings and sculptures instead of real models. She did convince Daniel to model naked for her a couple of times, but instead of it being the exquisitely sensual experience it could have been, the scenario was initially rather academic and then led to one of those barely there love scenes which was quite frustrating. It wasn't just the love scenes that were dull either. A large part of the prose was rendered very simplistically in a passive voice with too much repetition for my taste, while much of the dialog was stilted. The whole story was simply lackluster with no zing or excitement to really pull me in and keep me reading. If the book had been any longer than it was, I probably would have had to lay it aside for something else. Even though Sex, Straight Up didn't catch my fancy, I still plan to finish the trilogy for the sake of completeness, and because I already have the third book on my TBR pile and need it for a reading challenge in which I'm participating. I just won't be expecting much from the upcoming book, based on my experience with the first two and the fact that the soon-to-be hero hasn't particularly endeared himself to me yet in those stories either. Sex, Straight Up is the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy. It is preceded by Shaken and Stirred and followed by Nightcap.
"2.5 stars" Even though the first book in Kathleen O'Reilly's Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy was just OK for me, I was looking forward to trying the next book, Sex, Straight Up, mainly because I thought the concept of a hero who had lost his wife on 9/11 was a very unique one that would probably make a great story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be even more of a yawn than the first one which was extremely disappointing to me, as I've liked some of Ms. O'Reilly's other work very much in the past. In my opinion, she spent too much time on the details of the hero and heroine's professions, that of accountant and art appraiser respectively, which are rather snooze-worthy jobs to begin with. She also had a tendency to meander off onto various little rabbit trails that didn't really directly impact the couple's relationship. All of this felt like a whole lot of filler when I thought she should have been building their connection and developing their emotions on a much deeper level. Instead it seemed the hero and heroine were just wandering around from scene to scene with very little purpose or direction except trying to clear the heroine's grandfather of any implication in a price fixing scheme. That part of the story resolved itself a little too quickly and easily as well with Daniel figuring out who really was responsible while in the midst of a drunken stupor and the “bad guy” being the one person who logically should have been able to cover his tracks, all of which lacked credibility.
I really felt like both Daniel and Catherine had great potential as interesting and likable characters, but just never lived up to the inherent possibilities. I would normally love a quiet, brooding hero who is mourning a lost love, and I did adore Daniel for being so devoted to his wife so much so that he had remained celibate for the seven years since her death. When we first meet Catherine, she seems like a very nice person too. Her artist's eye instantly recognizes the loneliness in Daniel, and being a fellow introvert, she also understands his social awkwardness and need to be alone. There seems to be some underlying hurt in her life as well that came from her desire to be an artist, but at the same time, feeling she could never quite live up to her grandfather's exacting standards either in art or business. Unfortunately, this is as far as these two characters were developed, and I never felt like they blossomed through these adversities in the way they should have. Everything simply stayed on a superficial level with them which made it very difficult to relate.
Being an introvert myself, I typically love introverted characters, but Daniel and Catherine just seem to lack basic communication skills. Generally, they only talk to each other in as few words as possible and never about the really difficult stuff which made them seem very closed off and emotionally distant from one another for the entire book. I got very frustrated with both of them, because Daniel just went around pining for his wife and feeling like he's cheating on her without ever explaining his feelings and reasons to Catherine. For her part, Catherine knew the score on Daniel still being attached to his first wife, but then got kind of snippy, refusing to share personal stuff about herself because Daniel wouldn't either. Then on the rare occasions that he did try to open up a little, she usually cut him off and wouldn't listen because she's afraid of what she'll hear. This couple were such poor communicators, I just never felt a true emotional connection either between themselves or with me as the reader, and consequently had a very difficult time investing myself in what the outcome would be for them. I've read other books with a widow/widower character who was pining for a lost spouse that were done so much better. I felt like what was truly missing here was a willingness on Daniel's part to express himself and an equal willingness from Catherine to be understanding of his feelings, as well as a strong differentiation of their relationship being something new, unique, and different from what he had in the past, but every bit as fulfilling. Instead, all I felt from the pair was pure lust but never a true love connection.
Considering that this was a Blaze novel, I was at least expecting some hot love scenes to liven things up, but even that expectation was dashed. Daniel and Catherine do get it on a number of times, but surprisingly some of the scenes are closed-door, others are barely there (without any foreplay and over in a mere paragraph or two), and the ones that are a little more detailed were still not anywhere near as vivid and passionate as I would have anticipated from a book of this type. In fact, I think it was perhaps the tamest Blaze I've read to date. Again, I thought there was some definite lost potential here, because Catherine is an artist who enjoys sketching nudes, but usually relies on paintings and sculptures instead of real models. She did convince Daniel to model naked for her a couple of times, but instead of it being the exquisitely sensual experience it could have been, the scenario was initially rather academic and then led to one of those barely there love scenes which was quite frustrating. It wasn't just the love scenes that were dull either. A large part of the prose was rendered very simplistically in a passive voice with too much repetition for my taste, while much of the dialog was stilted. The whole story was simply lackluster with no zing or excitement to really pull me in and keep me reading. If the book had been any longer than it was, I probably would have had to lay it aside for something else. Even though Sex, Straight Up didn't catch my fancy, I still plan to finish the trilogy for the sake of completeness, and because I already have the third book on my TBR pile and need it for a reading challenge in which I'm participating. I just won't be expecting much from the upcoming book, based on my experience with the first two and the fact that the soon-to-be hero hasn't particularly endeared himself to me yet in those stories either. Sex, Straight Up is the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy. It is preceded by Shaken and Stirred and followed by Nightcap.
January 6, 2011
Sex, Straight Up is yet another great installment in this fun, sexy, and romantic trilogy. Another relatively short novel, yet impressively packed with an interesting story line and fantastic character and relationship development that is realistic, emotional, and truly compelling.
The nature of this love story made for a fairly complicated emotional journey for Daniel O'Sullivan. He still loves his deceased wife, and knows he always will love her, but he also acknowledges that time has been telling him he's ready to move on. Throughout the pages of the story, Daniel's struggle to figure out how exactly to do just that is emotional and also beautiful. Once he and Catherine begin their affair the second time around, he's honest with Catherine and really does try to do the right thing. One can't help but empathize with him and admire him for his efforts.
At the same time that Daniel struggles with trying to let go of his past and start to move on, Catherine struggles with maintaining realistic expectations of her relationship with Daniel. She knows she's falling in love with Daniel, but knows it wouldn't be wise to just give her heart up to him. She wants to, though, because when she's with him, everything feels easy and right. And yet, when it does start to show that he loves her, too, she doesn't just cave into that without thinking. She's smart and knows Daniel isn't just going to get over his wife after a few nights or weeks of great sex and conversation. So she's cautious. And what's great about that is that while she's protecting herself from heartache, she's also helping Daniel figure out exactly what he needs, too. He is the one who has to figure himself out and when he does figure it out, he's the one who has to make it happen between them.
Sex, Straight Up is a really beautiful romance that is both passionate and tender. Both characters do a lot of soul searching as they try to figure out what they want from the other person and what is a realistic and fair expectation. Their actions are realistic and purposeful, even when it's just about the sex. When love comes into play, this couple share some very tender and romantic moments that had such depth of emotion and truth. You couldn't help but believe their love was true and meant to be.
The nature of this love story made for a fairly complicated emotional journey for Daniel O'Sullivan. He still loves his deceased wife, and knows he always will love her, but he also acknowledges that time has been telling him he's ready to move on. Throughout the pages of the story, Daniel's struggle to figure out how exactly to do just that is emotional and also beautiful. Once he and Catherine begin their affair the second time around, he's honest with Catherine and really does try to do the right thing. One can't help but empathize with him and admire him for his efforts.
At the same time that Daniel struggles with trying to let go of his past and start to move on, Catherine struggles with maintaining realistic expectations of her relationship with Daniel. She knows she's falling in love with Daniel, but knows it wouldn't be wise to just give her heart up to him. She wants to, though, because when she's with him, everything feels easy and right. And yet, when it does start to show that he loves her, too, she doesn't just cave into that without thinking. She's smart and knows Daniel isn't just going to get over his wife after a few nights or weeks of great sex and conversation. So she's cautious. And what's great about that is that while she's protecting herself from heartache, she's also helping Daniel figure out exactly what he needs, too. He is the one who has to figure himself out and when he does figure it out, he's the one who has to make it happen between them.
Sex, Straight Up is a really beautiful romance that is both passionate and tender. Both characters do a lot of soul searching as they try to figure out what they want from the other person and what is a realistic and fair expectation. Their actions are realistic and purposeful, even when it's just about the sex. When love comes into play, this couple share some very tender and romantic moments that had such depth of emotion and truth. You couldn't help but believe their love was true and meant to be.
September 1, 2014
Don't judge a book by it's cover. And the title is all wrong. That said, this was the first book in a blogger bundle I purchased a few months ago. The blogger was encouraging readers to take a second look at category romances. I started reading category romances when I was 13 and I'm not ashamed to say that I still enjoy them. I have several favorite authors that are auto-buys for me: Kelly Hunter, Maisey Yates and Sandra Marton top my list. Well, now I've added a new favorite - Kathleen O'Reilly. This story caught me by complete surprise. I was expecting, well, as the title says - Sex, Straight Up. Instead, I was instantly pulled into the story of Daniel O'Sullivan, a man who has been living in a fog since his wife was murdered on that horrible September day in NYC. At the time of the story, it's been 7 years since 9/11. Daniel's brothers have been gently and not so gently prodding him to step into the world again, to stop living like a monk. They set him up to spend a weekend in the Hamptons. Not caring for the wild party antics of the other people in the house, he retreats to the beach in front of the house next door - a house that belongs to Catherine Montefiore's family. She's staying there - alone - that weekend. Catherine works in the family auction house (think Christie's) but her artwork is her passion. She watches the man sitting with his back to her on her private beach and begins to sketch him. Sensing someone watching him, he turns around and sees her. He introduces himself to her, apologizes for using her beach, but she invites him to continue using it. He's absolutely gorgeous and she wants to continue sketching him (secretly) but she also sees the empty, lifeless expression in his gaze. She's drawn to him. And he is drawn to her. That's how it begins. And, as with all romance stories, you have a pretty good idea of how the story will end. But I found the "getting there" to be a fresh, heartbreaking (and heartwarming) story. And, yes, the sex was hot, too.
February 16, 2016
Ok, listen. You are going to want to roll your eyes and ignore this book because of the ridiculous title. (Why, Harlequin, WHY??) You shouldn't, though, because this book was such an amazing find. Its about a 9/11 widow who cannot move on and an introverted art appraiser who is trying to convince herself that she deserves to be 100% loved by someone. It was such a wonderful, romantic, and sometimes sad story that did not shy away from the effects of grief, especially when it is tied to such a visible event. Daniel is completely stuck in the past and really likes it there. He has his job and the bar he owns with his brothers, and that's really all he needs. Meeting Catherine, who doesn't demand change from him, wakes up a part of himself that he has missed, but you can imagine the mixed feelings he has. Catherine loves what she does, but doesn't have the confidence to do more and doesn't know how to communicate that t her family. This book is about moving on, yes, but it's also about finding someone who lifts you up, taking change of your own happiness, and it was just so very good. (A big thanks goes to the Smart Bitches team because I ever would have heard about this without their weekly newsletter.)
August 5, 2015
First, I'm 99% sure I read this before, back when the first book in this series (I think) was one of the "Save the Contemporary" picks from DA/SBTB.
Second, I want Grace to read this because I want a NYC evaluation. It reads pretty well to me, but I've accepted that my readings of New York aren't always accurate. At the very least, I like that it tries to integrate itself into the surroundings it has chosen for its setting.
Third, I just really liked this. A story about a 9/11 widower moving on could be really terrible, but it mostly just reads as a moving on story, period. The 9/11 thing is just a part of the tapestry of Daniel's characterization, not the point, and that makes it a lot more palatable. The hero and heroine both are interesting on their own and their dilemma about whether or not they can give each other what they want rings true. I also dig both of their relationships with their family and I love their careers--an accountant hero, how great is that?
I requested my library get the other two so I can reread them as well. I definitely need to read more Kathleen O'Reilly.
Second, I want Grace to read this because I want a NYC evaluation. It reads pretty well to me, but I've accepted that my readings of New York aren't always accurate. At the very least, I like that it tries to integrate itself into the surroundings it has chosen for its setting.
Third, I just really liked this. A story about a 9/11 widower moving on could be really terrible, but it mostly just reads as a moving on story, period. The 9/11 thing is just a part of the tapestry of Daniel's characterization, not the point, and that makes it a lot more palatable. The hero and heroine both are interesting on their own and their dilemma about whether or not they can give each other what they want rings true. I also dig both of their relationships with their family and I love their careers--an accountant hero, how great is that?
I requested my library get the other two so I can reread them as well. I definitely need to read more Kathleen O'Reilly.
October 22, 2012
I got this as part of the "One Click Buy" anthologies, and I wanted to take a minute to review this particular segment. Yes, the man lost his wife on 9/11 - but even with that sadness comes humor and joy. I kinda wished I could see Catherine's sketches. The auction house storyline was slightly less interesting, but it added a little dimension to Daniel's character. The opening took me by surprise. The whole thing about him reaching over every morning just hit me. But I really loved the story, and the characters were sweet and engaging.
November 28, 2008
The description of the book isn't exactly how the book happens. It seems super cheesy in the description and the book is not like that at all. Its a well done, very nice story. I really liked the book and got sucked in immediately. I'm not a fan of the hero being so emo for 7+ years over a dead wife, usually those books are quite sad and I don't like books that make me sad. This didn't, so that is a plus.
November 28, 2015
IGNORE THE TITLE. Whoever came up with it should be sent upstairs with no dinner!
Emotion-packed and good characterization. I was hooked from the first chapter. It hugely raised my opinions on Harlequin Category Romances. I just bought the next book and can't wait to read.
A surprising 4 stars.
Emotion-packed and good characterization. I was hooked from the first chapter. It hugely raised my opinions on Harlequin Category Romances. I just bought the next book and can't wait to read.
A surprising 4 stars.
May 21, 2009
Great start to trilogy about three brothers. Sexy stories.
May 14, 2017
I loved this story, but honestly, I don't think the title fit the story.
April 16, 2023
The name do not justify the book.
As the name suggests, this is surprisingly not a book with sex in every other pages. Instead there's story, there's heart. This is more like a HP book than a daring Blaze.
This is the story of Daniel who lost his wife in 9/11. The first few lines from Daniel's POV on the first page sucked me in where he described his loneliness in such a manner, u r bound to turn the page over to get to know him more.
This is the story of Catherine, an introvert artist who took one look at brooding Daniel and fell for him. But still she had the understanding that if Daniel wanted her in his life, he had to work through his issues by himself first.
Severel times in the book Daniel got those consciousness attacks where he felt he was being unfaithful to his wife's memories, even though 7 years had passed and he led a celibate life, but it was Catherine who brought him out of the funk. He recognized this but some situations kept reminding him that he took vows to cherish his wife forever. In the end he did come out of it but what i liked most was Catherine's stance. Ya, there wasn't play by play of their after reconciliation happenings, but in the epilogue through Daniel's PoV, it was clear that Catherine made him work to build a new and ghost of the past free relationship. He asked her to marry him when he professed his love but she waited 104 days to say yes, to let Daniel assure her that they are together for the long haul. That's what made the book work for me.
As the name suggests, this is surprisingly not a book with sex in every other pages. Instead there's story, there's heart. This is more like a HP book than a daring Blaze.
This is the story of Daniel who lost his wife in 9/11. The first few lines from Daniel's POV on the first page sucked me in where he described his loneliness in such a manner, u r bound to turn the page over to get to know him more.
This is the story of Catherine, an introvert artist who took one look at brooding Daniel and fell for him. But still she had the understanding that if Daniel wanted her in his life, he had to work through his issues by himself first.
Severel times in the book Daniel got those consciousness attacks where he felt he was being unfaithful to his wife's memories, even though 7 years had passed and he led a celibate life, but it was Catherine who brought him out of the funk. He recognized this but some situations kept reminding him that he took vows to cherish his wife forever. In the end he did come out of it but what i liked most was Catherine's stance. Ya, there wasn't play by play of their after reconciliation happenings, but in the epilogue through Daniel's PoV, it was clear that Catherine made him work to build a new and ghost of the past free relationship. He asked her to marry him when he professed his love but she waited 104 days to say yes, to let Daniel assure her that they are together for the long haul. That's what made the book work for me.
March 14, 2021
Catherine while at the Hampton’s meets widower Daniel has a weekend tryst where she finds herself completely smitten.
When returning to New York her family’s auction house is being investigated and audited by none other than Accountant Daniel, the two reignite their forbidden relationship knowing that it jeopardizes the credibility of Daniels audits as well as Catherine’s heart.
One can say little about this story. First Catherine has failed to be very an appealing leading lady, her personality is a bit lukewarm most of the novel. She goes is pathetic in her dealings with convictions at work and in love but her reactions are a bit self centered.
Daniel on the other hand has never gotten over his first wife as he navigates on trying to love again. He feels guilt and confusion if he lets go of the memory of his past epic love.
Well, this books is a drag to read. There isn’t much fun or connection with the charterers. I have read similar story’s by Kendall Ryan that more momentum and relate more emotions that pull you in. This unfortunately does not do it.
March 12, 2018
I thought the emotions in this book were handled well, and the plotline involving the hero's first wife was very sensitively done. That said, there were some pacing issues, and the larger plotline - involving the hero's audit of the heroine's company - was just silly. Setting aside the conflict of interest problem (which always annoys me, frankly: how am I supposed to take someone seriously when they're imperiling their professional licensure so that they can continue banging someone they barely know, when they could just have a project reassigned and bang unimpeded?), I have only the vaguest idea of how such audits work but I can assure you that in this day and age they don't involve people sitting and looking through boxes of paper and given the technical sophistication of the tools these days, the criminal mastermind is not so mastermindy. (It was also resolved entirely off-page, which shows how much the author cared about it.) Over all, I liked it but not a re-read.
April 14, 2020
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book (the cover put me off so first) but it was emotional and sweet. My only quibble was how the business plan wrapped up off-page and pretty abruptly, but otherwise I liked this one very much.
September 30, 2024
Almost didn't pick it because of the title. It was highly recommended so read it anyway, not expecting much. So glad I gave it a chance. I read a lot of angsty 90s romance so this reads as fresh and poignant and made me want to read more romance again.
January 24, 2021
Good read
Nice follow up to Gabes story. Daniel was quite dreamy. Can tO wait to see who Sean falls in love with.
Nice follow up to Gabes story. Daniel was quite dreamy. Can tO wait to see who Sean falls in love with.
February 13, 2021
The tittle is misleading. This book was different and worth to read. Many interesting characters here
August 20, 2022
4.5 stars. I love this book. It gives me all the feelings. I can say for this book that don’t judge the book by its title. The story was so much more than just sex.
March 14, 2017
DNF at about 60% complete. The characters and scenarios in this one were unbelievable, even for a novel from the Blaze line (which is ostensibly about simply getting the characters set up for the next sex scene). Foundational character traits come and go on a whim and plot points are brought up and dropped within pages of each other. Not enjoyable, not sexy.
December 20, 2015
This book should win the "Most Misleading Title Ever" award. On my own I'd never pick up a book with this title. Which is why internet reading friends are so useful. I was complaining online about books that have the MC falling in love on the one-year anniversary of a spouse's death, when for most folks that's the day you realize you maybe will breathe again, someday. And, though I know we're all different, I was wishing for books that respected a longer, slower grieving process without being about the grief. And someone recommended this book. I was skeptical, but I shouldn't have been. It's a winner.
Daniel lost his wife of five months in 9-11, and seven years later he still wears his wedding ring, has never dated, and doesn't intend to. He loves her and for him love is forever. Catherine is a smart, single, introvert who doesn't do casual relationships. She doesn't do many relationships at all. They meet, separate, come together again, solve a mystery and fall in love in this book that respects the differences in people and the spaces we all have in our lives.
I teared up a couple of times, but that's me and my personal baggage. :) It's not an angsty, grief filled story at all, but a romance between two adults, both of whom have some baggage and feel like real people. Highly recommended for when you need a modern romance fix that's about more then the sex.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is that I seriously wanted more of Daniel and Catherine. This book needed to be longer.
Daniel lost his wife of five months in 9-11, and seven years later he still wears his wedding ring, has never dated, and doesn't intend to. He loves her and for him love is forever. Catherine is a smart, single, introvert who doesn't do casual relationships. She doesn't do many relationships at all. They meet, separate, come together again, solve a mystery and fall in love in this book that respects the differences in people and the spaces we all have in our lives.
I teared up a couple of times, but that's me and my personal baggage. :) It's not an angsty, grief filled story at all, but a romance between two adults, both of whom have some baggage and feel like real people. Highly recommended for when you need a modern romance fix that's about more then the sex.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is that I seriously wanted more of Daniel and Catherine. This book needed to be longer.
May 25, 2010
*Read and reviewed for DirtySexyBooks.com Book Challenge*
It's been a few years since I have read a Harlequin even though I own more than 500 of them and while I enjoy this type of read I have always carefully avoided thinking critically about them. I am going to try and review in comparison to the same genre rather than books in general to be as fair as I can.
Like most of you I thought the title is just bizarre and would make much more sense if he actually worked at the bar rather than an accountant, or a large part of the book took place at the bar, instead of being only periphially involved.
I like the wallflower being noticed by the hot guy scenario but while O'Reilly described Catherine as reserved, the character very rarely acted that way so it was an awkward inconsistency.
As for your question Rebecca - I quite liked the love of a lifetime thing that Daniel had going on - his conflict seemed honest enough to me. There are many widows/widowers who never marry again out of some sense of loyalty and lost love so it makes sense. I must admit the whole 9/11 background didn't work for me though - it felt a bit exploitative of the tragedy.
The sex was pretty hot - always a good thing :) (I have been married way too long)
I must admit I like a little more emotion in my romances than what I found in this. So I would have to say it was OK (2 stars)
It's been a few years since I have read a Harlequin even though I own more than 500 of them and while I enjoy this type of read I have always carefully avoided thinking critically about them. I am going to try and review in comparison to the same genre rather than books in general to be as fair as I can.
Like most of you I thought the title is just bizarre and would make much more sense if he actually worked at the bar rather than an accountant, or a large part of the book took place at the bar, instead of being only periphially involved.
I like the wallflower being noticed by the hot guy scenario but while O'Reilly described Catherine as reserved, the character very rarely acted that way so it was an awkward inconsistency.
As for your question Rebecca - I quite liked the love of a lifetime thing that Daniel had going on - his conflict seemed honest enough to me. There are many widows/widowers who never marry again out of some sense of loyalty and lost love so it makes sense. I must admit the whole 9/11 background didn't work for me though - it felt a bit exploitative of the tragedy.
The sex was pretty hot - always a good thing :) (I have been married way too long)
I must admit I like a little more emotion in my romances than what I found in this. So I would have to say it was OK (2 stars)
January 29, 2016
This book was nothing like I thought given the title. I liked it a lot, but I'm pretty sure this was titled by Harlequin, not the author. Daniel and Catherine were boring, in a good way. They're both introverts and lonely (in different ways). They are both suffering (Daniel more) over different things, but they are, in essence, regular boring people, who go out to dinner, work on the weekends, and have stupendous shower sex.
The business plot was interesting but I was very disappointed in how it ended. I felt like there could have been more conflict, maybe a showdown, or at least another conversation with the grandfather. Everything got tied up in the end, but it more of a tell, not show, way and by other people rather than from the main characters' view points. Understandable since it's a category book and they have restrictive word counts, but still. It could have been resolved better.
Final grade: B
The business plot was interesting but I was very disappointed in how it ended. I felt like there could have been more conflict, maybe a showdown, or at least another conversation with the grandfather. Everything got tied up in the end, but it more of a tell, not show, way and by other people rather than from the main characters' view points. Understandable since it's a category book and they have restrictive word counts, but still. It could have been resolved better.
Final grade: B
June 10, 2009
When I first picked up this book, almost a year ago, I read the title, saw the sexy cover bar scene, and thought I had raunch. I read the first paragraph, noted the dichotomy of the contents with the cover, and put the book away. I'm so glad I finally picked it back up again.
I read the reviews before I started typing this, which is something I typically don't do, because then I don't know what to write without thinking about what someone already wrote first. I loved this book and it sucked me in from the first page - it's a sad, lonely book about a sad, lonely man whose wife died on 9/11 and he still can't get over her. He meets a woman on the beach, another sad and lonely person, and they begin a slow, spiraling descent into a love affair.
I read the reviews before I started typing this, which is something I typically don't do, because then I don't know what to write without thinking about what someone already wrote first. I loved this book and it sucked me in from the first page - it's a sad, lonely book about a sad, lonely man whose wife died on 9/11 and he still can't get over her. He meets a woman on the beach, another sad and lonely person, and they begin a slow, spiraling descent into a love affair.
December 7, 2011
Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly (Blaze #388) is the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivan's trilogy and Daniel O'Sullivan's story. I was really surprised at how good and sexy this story turned out and I liked it more than the first book. Why? Well, mainly because Daniel is a widower still grieving for his wife who died during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 and he was so reluctant to let her go. However, in this book (as opposed to the first one where the male was the only reason for my grade) the female character, Catherine Montefiore, made a difference and provided balance. She turned everything around and made this story really work for me. I found this one to be a sexy, emotional and satisfying read.
November 16, 2015
2.5 stars. Points off for title and cover, which have nothing to do with the actual story. Perhaps it's because of the Harlequin Blaze imprint, but this clearly intends to have more emotional impact than the title would suggest; why market it differently?
Story is fine, not fluffy but easy to read. Hero's grief over his dead wife was oddly distant; we are told so much about how long he's harbored it, but we never really feel it. Perhaps grief like that was deemed too heavy and so it is used merely as the Problem keeping hero & heroine apart. Upon thinking that over, I'm annoyed about it and downgraded from 3 stars.
Story is fine, not fluffy but easy to read. Hero's grief over his dead wife was oddly distant; we are told so much about how long he's harbored it, but we never really feel it. Perhaps grief like that was deemed too heavy and so it is used merely as the Problem keeping hero & heroine apart. Upon thinking that over, I'm annoyed about it and downgraded from 3 stars.
December 2, 2015
Okay, yeah, so I read a book called "Sex, Straight Up." Yes, the title is terrible, and the cover doesn't match the tone of the book either. This book was unexpectedly sweet and fulfilling. Each character was dealing with some heavy stuff: loss; grief; regret; unrealized potential; the need to be bolder and more vulnerable; the desire to take up more room and take a place at the table because it's not going to be given to you. Those struggles are real, and I enjoyed watching each character grow into the new versions of themselves.
March 26, 2016
Soooo weird that this is a Blaze--and the cover is crazy, too. Heroine is a loner, hero is a loner and a widower (his wife died on 9/11). The book is romantic, but not the sassy sexy romp promised by the title & cover. (I can't imagine the heroine ever, ever wearing the dress on the cover, for example.) It feels much more like a SuperRomance, other than the length. (It was good, by the way.)
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